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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. court — for sport
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — a division
  9. bass — low music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. court — of a king
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. toast — bread
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. court — of law
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bass — the fish
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. march — the month
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. march — music
  24. calf — a young animal

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