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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bass — low music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. last — to go on
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hand — in cards
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. hand — help
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bass — the instrument

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