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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. staff — employees
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — size or range
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pop — to visit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — in music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. foot — a measure
  24. staff — a stick

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