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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: swing · pit · calf · bay · land · bulb · date · bound

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. land — a country
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. date — the fruit
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bound — certain
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pit — in a race
  15. swing — in golf
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. land — ground
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. land — to come down
  24. pit — a hole

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