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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 116 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — of law
  3. fine — all right
  4. craft — boats
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. court — for sport
  11. craft — a skill
  12. court — of a king
  13. race — the arms race
  14. net — in sport
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fine — high quality
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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