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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. court — of law
  3. squash — the sport
  4. track — a song
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. march — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. march — the month
  12. court — of a king
  13. bulb — for light
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rash — a series
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. march — the month
  20. rash — hasty
  21. track — to keep track
  22. squash — to crush
  23. track — a path
  24. rash — on the skin

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