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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cap — a hat
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cap — of ice
  8. court — of a king
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. key — for a lock
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. hand — help
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cap — a lid
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bark — to shout
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. calf — a young animal

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