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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. court — of a king
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — a grade
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. deal — to handle
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — a trace

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