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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pop — soda
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. capital — money
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mark — a trace
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pop — to visit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wave — with your hand

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