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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. root — the cause
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — of the year
  9. swing — in golf
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wake — a trail
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. season — in sport
  18. hand — help
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. swing — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. root — of a plant
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. root — of a word

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