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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. court — of law
  6. bass — low music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. court — of a king
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stand — to bear
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tube — the underground
  24. racket — a loud noise

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