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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. current — happening now
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. current — electric
  12. pop — to visit
  13. scale — in music
  14. court — of law
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. court — for sport
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pop — music
  20. court — of a king
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. current — of water
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pop — soda

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