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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. court — of law
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — the tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. court — for sport
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. saw — the tool
  20. court — of a king
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bark — of a tree
  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