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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 · calf · season · rock · staff · clip · ruler · bulb

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rock — a stone
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. staff — employees
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. staff — employees
  9. rock — music
  10. season — in sport
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. season — of the year
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a dance
  22. clip — for paper
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. clip — a video

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