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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. season — in sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. ball — a great time
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. object — to protest
  9. tube — the underground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mug — to rob
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mug — a face
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mug — a cup
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. season — of the year
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. object — a thing
  23. ball — a dance
  24. object — an aim

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