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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. court — of a king
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rock — music
  10. court — for sport
  11. ground — crushed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. court — of law
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ground — a position
  21. bank — for money
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. calf — of the leg

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