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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 124 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. club — for golf
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. club — a group
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. sharp — clever
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. calf — a young animal

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