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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. current — electric
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mug — a face
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. sharp — clever
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ball — a great time
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. current — happening now
  23. season — of the year
  24. ball — a dance

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