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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. field — farmland
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a great time
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hand — in cards
  17. can — to be able to
  18. field — for sport
  19. pop — soda
  20. hand — help
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. field — a subject
  23. can — a tin
  24. charge — in control

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