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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.

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: ball · racket · calf · ground · present · game · snap · firm

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. ground — a position
  3. present — the time now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. present — a gift
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. ground — the earth
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — a company
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. present — there
  14. ball — a dance
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. firm — steady
  17. snap — to click
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. firm — decided
  23. racket — for tennis
  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