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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. scale — in music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. scale — size or range
  8. land — to come down
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. band — a ring
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. land — a country
  23. wax — to grow
  24. land — ground

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