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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bank — for money
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — for sport
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. court — of a king
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — of a river
  20. hand — help
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. court — of law
  24. rock — music

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