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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bass — low music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. march — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bass — the fish
  14. present — the time now
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. march — the month
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cabinet — ministers

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