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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. march — music
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. season — of the year
  12. bass — the fish
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. season — in sport
  20. pitch — completely
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. dip — to sink
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — the month

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