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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. court — of law
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — electric
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ball — a dance
  10. current — happening now
  11. net — after costs
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. net — for catching
  16. current — of water
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — in sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. squash — the sport
  22. court — for sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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