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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pop — music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pop — to visit
  13. scale — in music
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pass — a permit
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. race — a contest
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pop — soda

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