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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pop — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. court — of a king
  9. sharp — clever
  10. court — of law
  11. rule — government
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. can — to be able to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. court — for sport
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pop — to visit
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pop — soda
  24. rule — to rule out

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