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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — a position
  3. net — in sport
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mug — a cup
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. net — for catching
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mug — a face
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. bank — for money
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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