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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. squash — to crush
  4. row — a line
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. object — a thing
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. row — to paddle
  14. object — to protest
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. object — an aim
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bass — low music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bass — the fish
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  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