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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. march — the month
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bass — low music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. march — music

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