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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pit — a hole
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — employees
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — to visit
  18. season — of the year
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. season — in sport
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bass — the fish

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