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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. court — of a king
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. court — of law
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. present — there
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pop — soda
  18. present — a gift
  19. pop — music
  20. chair — a leader
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. present — the time now
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cue — a hint

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