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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. kick — in football
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. march — music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. perch — the fish
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — the month
  18. pop — soda
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pop — to visit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. march — the month
  24. kick — with a leg

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