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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spring — the season
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spring — of water
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ground — the earth
  8. craft — a skill
  9. court — of law
  10. craft — boats
  11. bat — the animal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. court — of a king
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cue — a signal
  19. court — for sport
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ground — a position

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