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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mark — a grade
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bass — low music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. root — the cause
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. key — the most important part
  23. scale — size or range
  24. date — the fruit

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