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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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 fish
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bound — certain
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. bass — low music
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — a penalty

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