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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. charge — a price
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. track — a path
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. plane — a tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. capital — money
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. court — of a king
  18. capital — a city
  19. track — a song
  20. rock — a stone
  21. charge — electricity
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rock — music

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