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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pop — music
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pop — to visit
  9. last — final
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pop — soda
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. last — finally
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — help
  21. last — to go on
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rock — music
  24. club — for golf

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