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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — certain
  4. capital — a city
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. capital — money
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ball — a dance
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bass — low music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. hide — to keep secret

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