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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. sharp — clever
  5. object — an aim
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. deal — to handle
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. march — the month
  19. pound — a weight
  20. ball — a dance
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. march — music
  23. ball — a round shape
  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