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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. court — of law
  2. drill — a practice
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lean — thin
  5. swing — to play on
  6. court — of a king
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. drill — army training
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. drill — the tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. bank — of a river
  13. swing — music
  14. court — for sport
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bank — for money
  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