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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitch — completely
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mate — to breed
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mate — a partner
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. march — the month
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  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