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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mark — a grade
  6. court — of a king
  7. toast — bread
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ground — a position
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bound — obliged
  18. court — of law
  19. mark — a trace
  20. scale — in music
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ground — crushed
  23. court — for sport
  24. bark — of a tree

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