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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rock — music
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rock — a stone
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wax — to grow
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. deal — to handle
  24. safe — a strongbox

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