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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rash — hasty
  3. court — for sport
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. court — of a king
  6. present — the time now
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. kick — in football
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. object — an aim
  15. rash — a series
  16. court — of law
  17. object — a thing
  18. present — a gift
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitch — completely
  23. object — to protest
  24. safe — out of danger

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