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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. court — of law
  3. bass — the fish
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mate — a friend
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. court — of a king
  11. bass — low music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. court — for sport
  15. charge — in control
  16. mate — a partner
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. charge — a price

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