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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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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: march · mouse · calf · rest · prune · bay · net · cue

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. march — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. march — the month
  16. cue — a hint
  17. march — the month
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — after costs
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. rest — a break
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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