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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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. sharp — clever
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pit — in a race
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pit — a hole
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bass — low music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. staff — employees

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