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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — a measure
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. club — for golf
  15. game — wild animals
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. club — a group
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — a young 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