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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. scale — in music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — a group
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. sharp — clever
  13. club — for dancing
  14. snap — to click
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. court — of law
  17. scale — size or range
  18. club — for golf
  19. key — for a lock
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. key — in music
  22. court — of a king
  23. key — the most important part
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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