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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ball — a dance
  5. date — the fruit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. roll — a cake
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. club — a group
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitch — completely
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ball — a great time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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