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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 124 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. club — for dancing
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — electric
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bat — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. march — the month
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. ball — a dance
  19. current — of water
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — happening now

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