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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hand — in cards
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. net — in sport
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — a division
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. court — of a king
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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