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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: calf · rule · sharp · deal · rash · fine · bark · game

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fine — all right
  4. deal — to handle
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rule — government
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bark — to shout
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. sharp — clever
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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