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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · ball · season · calf · face · bat · rush · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. court — for sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. court — of a king
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bat — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. court — of law
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. season — in sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. face — to confront
  24. rush — to hurry

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