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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bat — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. board — to get on
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. court — of law
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bound — certain
  11. kid — child
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fine — high quality
  14. court — for sport
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fine — all right
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. board — a committee
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. suit — in cards
  23. court — of a king
  24. suit — to fit

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