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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. kid — child
  7. court — of law
  8. tube — a container
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chip — to eat
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. court — of a king
  19. kid — to tease
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tube — the underground
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. toast — bread

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