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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. present — there
  3. bound — certain
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. present — a gift
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. season — of the year
  12. present — the time now
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bat — the animal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. season — in sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. craft — boats
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ball — a great time
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ball — a dance
  24. deal — to handle

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