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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bass — low music
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. track — to keep track
  13. suit — clothes
  14. capital — a city
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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