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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. drill — the tool
  4. kid — child
  5. drill — army training
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. club — a group
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — a practice
  20. kid — to tease
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. vault — a safe

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