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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cue — for pool
  8. spring — of water
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spring — the season
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bass — low music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rule — a law
  17. game — a match
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. can — a tin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bowl — a dish
  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