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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ground — crushed
  4. court — of law
  5. mug — a face
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — of a king
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. board — a committee
  11. mug — to rob
  12. court — for sport
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. can — a tin
  20. degree — from a university
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. calf — a young animal

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