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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. craft — a skill
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. court — of a king
  6. capital — money
  7. craft — boats
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. foot — a measure
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. court — for sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. capital — a city
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bark — to shout
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. court — of law

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