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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. can — to be able to
  8. firm — decided
  9. row — to paddle
  10. firm — steady
  11. court — for sport
  12. fine — all right
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — of law
  19. root — of a word
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. court — of a king
  23. row — a line
  24. calf — a young animal

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