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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. kick — in football
  4. court — of a king
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bank — of a river
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ground — the earth
  9. squash — to crush
  10. court — of law
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ground — a position
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rock — music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bank — for money

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