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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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. racket — for tennis
  4. club — for golf
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rule — a law
  7. pop — soda
  8. club — a group
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. club — for dancing
  14. drill — army training
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pop — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pop — to visit
  22. drill — the tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rule — government

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