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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. court — of a king
  4. band — a ring
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — a tin
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. court — of law
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wake — a trail
  17. band — a music group
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. court — for sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. calf — a young animal

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