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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mug — a face
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. mug — a cup

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