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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bat — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stem — to come from
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. pop — music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. key — for a lock
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bat — in an idiom

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