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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. present — the time now
  5. club — a group
  6. rush — hurry
  7. club — for golf
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. present — there
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a great time
  15. club — for dancing
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fork — in a road
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. present — a gift
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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