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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rock — a stone
  5. club — for golf
  6. shower — to wash
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. club — for dancing
  9. root — of a word
  10. present — the time now
  11. club — a group
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. pitch — completely
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. root — the cause
  19. present — a gift
  20. rock — music
  21. present — there
  22. shower — rain
  23. root — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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