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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. court — of a king
  4. bank — of a river
  5. land — ground
  6. bound — tied together
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. land — to come down
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. bound — certain
  12. court — of law
  13. bound — obliged
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. court — for sport
  16. land — a country
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bank — for money
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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