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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. charge — a price
  3. game — a match
  4. charge — electricity
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. court — of law
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. game — wild animals
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — in control
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. court — of a king
  17. cue — a hint
  18. march — the month
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cue — a signal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. bear — the animal

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