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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rock — music
  7. current — happening now
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. net — in sport
  10. mate — a partner
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mate — a friend
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. current — electric
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. current — of water

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