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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. suit — to fit
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. hand — in cards
  5. club — for golf
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hand — help
  16. band — a ring
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. suit — in cards
  21. ball — a great time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — clothes
  24. band — a music group

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