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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. capital — money
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kick — in football
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. track — to keep track
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. track — a path
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. track — a song
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bowl — a dish

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