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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of law
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. court — for sport
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spell — letters
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spell — magic
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — of a king

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