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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.

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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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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 · calf · stick · object · lean · pitcher · fine · foot

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — a match
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — thin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. object — to protest
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fine — a penalty
  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