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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: bat · calf · rock · craft · bass · mark · dip · mine

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rock — music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bass — low music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bass — the instrument

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