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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — in control
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. hand — help
  13. march — the month
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — in music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. charge — a price
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rush — hurry
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hand — in cards
  23. march — music
  24. hand — part of the body

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