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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. object — an aim
  12. craft — boats
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. kid — child
  17. object — to protest
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. court — for sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. object — a thing

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