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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hand — help
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bass — low music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bass — the instrument

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