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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — in sport
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ball — a dance
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. net — for catching
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. net — after costs
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — in music

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