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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. court — of a king
  3. mug — to rob
  4. charge — electricity
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mug — a face
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. spring — of water
  10. kick — in football
  11. spring — the season
  12. root — of a word
  13. capital — money
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. court — for sport
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. charge — a price
  21. spring — a coil
  22. court — of law
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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