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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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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rock — a stone
  4. current — of water
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. net — for catching
  7. content — happy
  8. march — the month
  9. file — a document
  10. net — in sport
  11. current — happening now
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — electric
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. content — the amount
  23. rock — music
  24. net — after costs

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