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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. club — for dancing
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. spring — of water
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. craft — boats
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — for golf
  18. race — the arms race
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. spring — the season
  22. race — humankind
  23. club — a group
  24. coach — a trainer

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