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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. tube — the underground
  3. season — in sport
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ball — a great time
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bound — tied together
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bound — certain
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bound — obliged
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ball — a dance
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. tube — a container

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