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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — goods
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. cap — a lid
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cap — a hat
  12. court — of law
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stock — shares
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. sharp — clever
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cap — of ice

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