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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. spell — magic
  6. track — a path
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — of law
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — for money
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stock — shares
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. court — for sport
  17. stock — goods
  18. track — a song
  19. spell — letters
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. court — of a king

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