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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hand — in cards
  4. swing — in golf
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hand — help
  10. mark — a trace
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. prune — to trim
  15. swing — to play on
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a great time
  18. swing — music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. prune — to trim
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ball — a dance
  24. prune — the fruit

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