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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. date — the fruit
  4. court — of law
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rule — a law
  12. toast — bread
  13. bass — low music
  14. rule — government
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. court — of a king
  17. spring — the season
  18. court — for sport
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the fish

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