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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 124 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. swing — in golf
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. swing — to play on
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. band — a music group
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. swing — music
  20. charge — in control
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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