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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: track · bore · pit · bay · game · calf · hand · rule

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bore — to drill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. game — a match
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rule — government
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hand — in cards
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. track — a song
  21. rule — a law
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. hand — help
  24. pit — a hole

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