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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bound — certain
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spell — magic
  9. race — the arms race
  10. can — a tin
  11. bound — obliged
  12. court — of law
  13. bound — tied together
  14. can — to be able to
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. court — of a king
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. court — for sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spell — letters
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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