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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. row — to paddle
  8. court — of law
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. court — for sport
  11. root — the cause
  12. cold — an illness
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. court — of a king
  15. row — a line
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bass — the fish
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — of a word
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bass — low music

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