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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. present — the time now
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. court — of a king
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — to handle
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. mate — a partner
  18. present — there
  19. mate — a friend
  20. content — the amount
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. deal — a big deal

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