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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. court — of a king
  3. charge — in control
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. court — for sport
  9. field — for sport
  10. foot — a measure
  11. field — a subject
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hand — in cards
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hand — help
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. charge — a price
  18. court — of law
  19. snap — to click
  20. field — farmland
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — of the leg

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