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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. spring — of water
  4. object — to protest
  5. bat — the animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. club — for golf
  8. content — happy
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. court — for sport
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. club — a group
  16. can — a tin
  17. object — a thing
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spring — the season
  20. content — the amount
  21. court — of law
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — for dancing
  24. object — an aim

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