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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — of law
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chair — a leader
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bark — to shout
  12. court — of a king
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. court — for sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. shower — rain
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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