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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. pitch — completely
  3. foot — a measure
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. object — an aim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. object — a thing
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. object — to protest
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rash — a series
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. coach — a trainer
  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