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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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 fish
  2. object — an aim
  3. current — of water
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. spring — the season
  6. chair — a leader
  7. kick — in football
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. object — to protest
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. current — happening now
  18. spring — of water
  19. object — a thing
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. spring — a coil
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. current — electric
  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