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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bound — certain
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ball — a dance
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wake — before a funeral

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