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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. net — in sport
  3. court — for sport
  4. mug — a face
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mug — to rob
  9. court — of a king
  10. present — a gift
  11. net — for catching
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. present — the time now
  15. roll — a list
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. present — there
  20. board — to get on
  21. mug — a cup
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. board — a committee
  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