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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. swing — music
  7. rule — government
  8. court — of law
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to drill
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. court — of a king
  15. club — a group
  16. firm — a company
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bore — to tire
  20. court — for sport
  21. club — for dancing
  22. firm — steady
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. calf — a young animal

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