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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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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. capital — a city
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bear — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cue — a hint
  12. capital — money
  13. wake — a trail
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pitch — completely
  20. staff — employees
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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