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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. court — of law
  6. track — a path
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — a tin
  10. toast — bread
  11. pitch — completely
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — of a king
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. track — a song

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