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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. court — for sport
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. net — after costs
  8. charge — in control
  9. net — in sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bat — the animal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. ground — the earth
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. charge — a price
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. net — for catching
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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