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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mate — a friend
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fine — all right
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cue — for pool
  16. present — the time now
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. present — there
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mate — a partner

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