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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. squash — to crush
  10. march — the month
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ground — the earth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. march — music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ground — crushed
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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