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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. row — a line
  3. court — of a king
  4. row — to paddle
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fall — to drop
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. squash — the sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fall — the season
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. can — a tin
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. court — for sport
  22. bass — the fish
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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