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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. can — a tin
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rock — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. court — for sport
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. season — in sport
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. season — of the year
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. race — humankind
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. race — a contest
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. plane — a tool
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rock — a stone

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