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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cap — a hat
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cap — of ice
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. club — a group
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. snap — to click
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spring — of water
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pitch — completely
  22. club — for golf
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — a lid

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