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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 116 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. game — a match
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — a stick
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. plane — a tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. rest — a break
  13. staff — employees
  14. game — wild animals
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rest — what's left
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kid — child
  20. court — of law
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. court — of a king
  23. rest — what's left
  24. can — to be able to

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