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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bear — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. court — of law
  9. march — the month
  10. bass — low music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. march — music
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. court — of a king
  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