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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ball — a dance
  3. march — music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. row — a line
  13. march — the month
  14. craft — a skill
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wake — a trail
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. vault — a safe
  21. march — the month
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. craft — boats

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