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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: game · foot · calf · mate · wind · bulb · craft · pop

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mate — a friend
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pop — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pop — to visit
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mate — to breed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pop — soda
  15. mate — a partner
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. craft — boats
  19. bulb — for light
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. game — a match
  24. bulb — for light

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