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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. degree — an amount
  7. swing — music
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — temperature
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pop — soda
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. perch — the fish
  21. land — ground
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mug — to rob

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