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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to click
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. court — of a king
  9. cold — not warm
  10. track — a path
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. court — for sport
  21. track — a song
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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