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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.

Make a worksheet

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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. court — of law
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mark — a trace
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. court — of a king
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. court — for sport
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mark — a grade
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. march — the month
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wound — an injury
  23. march — the month
  24. wound — an injury

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