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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pop — soda
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pop — music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wind — moving air
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bass — low music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bass — the fish

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