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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. present — a gift
  3. bass — low music
  4. present — the time now
  5. spell — letters
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bore — to drill
  10. present — there
  11. spell — magic
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. spell — a short time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bass — the fish
  24. foot — a measure

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