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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — the sport
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bound — obliged
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. deal — to handle
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rock — a stone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. foot — a measure
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bound — certain

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