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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. roll — a cake
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chair — a leader
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. row — to paddle
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kick — in football
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. scale — in music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. roll — a list
  24. row — a line

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