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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pop — to visit
  6. board — to get on
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pop — music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. net — in sport
  11. ground — a position
  12. shower — rain
  13. fine — all right
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — after costs
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. net — for catching
  20. pop — soda
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — a young animal

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