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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. court — of a king
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. present — a gift
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tube — a container
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a committee
  17. tube — the underground
  18. board — to get on
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. court — of law
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. race — a contest
  23. present — there
  24. tube — in a tire

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