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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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. tear — to rip
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. swing — music
  8. court — for sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rock — a stone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rock — music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ball — a dance
  21. court — of a king
  22. swing — to play on
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cell — in biology

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