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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. court — for sport
  12. present — the time now
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. present — a gift
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. present — there
  18. dip — to sink

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