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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 124 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. object — a thing
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — help
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. court — of a king
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pass — a permit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. object — to protest
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pop — soda
  20. plane — a tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. court — for sport
  23. object — an aim
  24. court — of law

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