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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pop — to visit
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — happening now
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — music
  10. current — electric
  11. bulb — for light
  12. scale — in music
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pop — soda
  15. rest — a break
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — a stone
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. current — of water
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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