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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. craft — a skill
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. game — wild animals
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. drill — the tool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. drill — a practice
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. suit — in cards
  24. calf — a young animal

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