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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. race — a contest
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fine — high quality
  6. charge — a price
  7. drill — army training
  8. land — ground
  9. charge — in control
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. land — to come down
  14. pop — music
  15. fine — all right
  16. land — a country
  17. race — humankind
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pop — soda
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. race — the arms race

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