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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. drill — the tool
  4. court — for sport
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. net — after costs
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — to handle
  10. drill — army training
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. scale — in music
  13. net — for catching
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. court — of law
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. scale — size or range
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. net — in sport
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. court — of a king

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