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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pitch — completely
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spell — magic
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. wake — a trail
  17. spring — of water
  18. spell — letters
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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