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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. net — in sport
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. net — after costs
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. net — for catching
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. scale — in music
  17. firm — decided
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. scale — size or range
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. content — happy

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