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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · craft · calf · kick · wave · chair · bat · club

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ball — a great time
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. club — for golf
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. kick — in football
  14. club — a group
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. craft — boats
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bat — the animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ball — a round shape

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