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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. squash — to crush
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — of a king
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bound — certain
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. court — for sport
  14. bound — tied together
  15. key — in music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bound — obliged
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. key — the most important part
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bear — the 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