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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bore — to drill
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rock — music
  15. kid — child
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spell — letters
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wave — of the sea

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