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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — ground
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — in sport
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bass — the fish
  14. net — for catching
  15. bass — low music
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. net — in sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. season — of the year
  23. net — after costs
  24. mouse — the 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