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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. race — humankind
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. cap — of ice
  9. race — the arms race
  10. field — a subject
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bass — low music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — farmland
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — the fish
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. race — a contest

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