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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. scale — in music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. court — of law
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chest — of your body
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wound — an injury
  14. scale — size or range
  15. court — of a king
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. court — for sport
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. tube — a container
  23. pop — music
  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