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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. swing — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. swing — in golf
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pop — soda
  16. ball — a dance
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rock — music

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