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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.

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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · can · temple · calf · court · board

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — for sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. board — a committee
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. court — of law
  11. can — to be able to
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. board — to get on
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer

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