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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. squash — the sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. club — for golf
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rush — hurry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. degree — temperature
  19. club — for dancing
  20. degree — an amount
  21. track — a song
  22. degree — from a university
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. squash — the vegetable

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