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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. drill — the tool
  11. chair — a leader
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. drill — a practice
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. prune — to trim

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