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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. degree — an amount
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. content — the amount
  12. mate — to breed
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. content — happy
  15. mate — a friend
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pop — to visit
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. degree — from a university
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pop — soda
  24. charge — in control

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