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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cell — a phone
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stock — shares
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. swing — to play on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. swing — music
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stock — goods
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cell — in biology

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