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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. court — of law
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rest — what's left
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. court — for sport
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rest — a break
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cue — a hint

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