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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pop — music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. net — in sport
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. net — for catching
  12. pop — to visit
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — soda
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — after costs
  24. deal — to handle

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