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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. present — there
  3. bark — to shout
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. suit — in cards
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pit — a hole
  14. root — the cause
  15. present — the time now
  16. scale — size or range
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. suit — clothes
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pit — in a race
  21. present — a gift
  22. scale — in music
  23. root — of a word
  24. bat — for baseball

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