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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ball — a great time
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. march — the month
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. chair — a leader
  16. march — music
  17. craft — boats
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. march — the month
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. trunk — of a tree

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