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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. spring — the season
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. suit — to fit
  8. hand — in cards
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ground — the earth
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ground — a position
  13. craft — boats
  14. ground — crushed
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. craft — a skill
  18. spring — of water
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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