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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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468
Word bank
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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ball — a dance
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — a match
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ball — a round shape

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