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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. court — of law
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of a king
  9. stock — shares
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cue — for pool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cue — a signal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cue — a hint
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. court — for sport
  23. drill — army training
  24. foot — the bottom

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