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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. swing — music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. march — the month
  7. track — a path
  8. tube — a container
  9. track — a song
  10. staff — a stick
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pitch — completely
  16. swing — in golf
  17. tube — the underground
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. staff — employees

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