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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — in music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bark — to shout
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. scale — size or range
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pop — soda
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. kick — in football
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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