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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bass — the fish
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ground — a position
  5. fine — all right
  6. cap — a hat
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cap — a lid
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bass — low music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. kick — in football
  21. ground — the earth
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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