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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. court — of law
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tube — a container
  12. staff — employees
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bass — low music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bass — the fish
  20. staff — a stick
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — in football
  23. staff — employees
  24. can — to be able to

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