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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. court — for sport
  2. scale — in music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a ring
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. scale — size or range
  10. club — for golf
  11. court — of law
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. club — for dancing
  15. court — of a king
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. club — a group
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rock — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — to tire
  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