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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. toast — bread
  3. cue — for pool
  4. court — of law
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. field — farmland
  14. cue — a signal
  15. field — for sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. field — a subject
  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