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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. court — of law
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. squash — to crush
  14. court — for sport
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. squash — the sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. branch — a division
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. firm — a company
  24. stem — to come from

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