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

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. court — for sport
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bound — obliged
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mug — a face
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mug — a cup
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bound — certain
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. plane — a tool

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