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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. object — an aim
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. dip — to sink
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. chest — a box
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. court — of law
  16. pitch — completely
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. band — a ring
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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