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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. season — of the year
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. row — to paddle
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — for golf
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — in sport
  24. jam — a tight spot

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