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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pass — a permit
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. club — a group
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. club — for dancing
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. field — farmland
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. vault — a safe
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. field — for sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. field — a subject
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. present — the time now
  23. club — for golf
  24. present — a gift

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