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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. court — of a king
  3. pop — to visit
  4. court — of law
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pop — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rest — a break
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. court — for sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rest — what's left

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