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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: game · wind · scale · pass · bat · saw · calf · charge

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — a match
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bat — the animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pass — a permit
  10. charge — in control
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wind — moving air

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