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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. net — for catching
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — after costs
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. last — finally
  13. march — the month
  14. last — to go on
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. dip — to sink
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. net — in sport
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. last — final
  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