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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. object — a thing
  3. scale — in music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. object — to protest
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — for golf
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. object — an aim
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. field — a subject
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. club — a group

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