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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. roll — a list
  3. scale — in music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. shower — rain
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. present — a gift
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. present — the time now
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. scale — size or range
  19. shower — to wash
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ball — a dance
  23. present — there
  24. calf — a young animal

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