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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pop — music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rock — music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wind — moving air
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — soda
  24. calf — of the leg

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