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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 116 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stock — goods
  4. cap — of ice
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. court — of a king
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cap — a hat
  13. court — of law
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cap — a lid

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