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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pop — soda
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. court — of a king
  6. spring — of water
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — a coil
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. court — of law
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. court — for sport
  14. spring — the season
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chest — a box
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pop — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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