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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — a measure
  4. scale — in music
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. land — ground
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rock — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. land — a country
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rock — a stone

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