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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. land — a country
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. land — to come down
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. court — of law
  7. firm — steady
  8. land — ground
  9. firm — a company
  10. court — for sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. court — of a king
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mouse — the 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