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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chest — a box
  13. court — of law
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — for sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bore — to drill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. court — of a king

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