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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cue — a signal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. scale — size or range
  7. root — the cause
  8. spring — of water
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mate — a partner
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mate — a friend
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cue — for pool
  17. root — of a word
  18. spring — the season
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cue — a hint
  22. foot — a measure
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — to breed

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