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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — of a king
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. court — of law
  22. hand — help
  23. court — for sport
  24. rock — a stone

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