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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mate — to breed
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. game — a match
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — a partner
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. tube — a container
  12. bass — low music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cell — a phone
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. tube — the underground

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