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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — of law
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. board — a committee
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bore — to drill
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stock — shares

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