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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — of ice
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cap — a lid
  10. court — of a king
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bound — obliged
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ground — crushed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cap — a hat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. ground — a position
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. court — of law
  23. can — to be able to
  24. court — for sport

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