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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rash — hasty
  3. game — a match
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. spring — the season
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com