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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. season — of the year
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. swing — in golf
  9. net — after costs
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. charge — a price
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. net — in sport
  19. season — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. charge — in control
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — of water
  24. calf — a young animal

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