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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. present — there
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. club — a group
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. degree — temperature
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. present — the time now
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. degree — from a university
  16. club — for golf
  17. present — a gift
  18. season — in sport
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. content — the amount
  21. bat — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. season — of the year
  24. degree — an amount

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