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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. swing — music
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pit — a hole
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pit — in a race
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. game — wild animals
  13. band — a ring
  14. game — a match
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. band — a music group

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