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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ground — a position
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. court — of a king
  6. root — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spring — the season
  11. bass — low music
  12. spring — of water
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. can — to be able to
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. court — of law
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bass — the fish
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. court — for sport
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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