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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. court — of a king
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. row — a line
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. can — a tin
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. saw — the tool
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. row — to paddle
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. court — of law

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