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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mate — a friend
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mate — to breed
  5. date — the fruit
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bass — low music
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ball — a great time
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a dance
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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