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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. suit — in cards
  5. land — a country
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. row — a line
  11. land — to come down
  12. suit — to fit
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pound — a weight
  17. spring — a coil
  18. land — ground
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pitch — completely

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