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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: chair · racket · calf · bulb · sharp · can · court · straw

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. can — to be able to
  11. court — of law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. court — for sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — of a king
  20. chair — a leader
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. sharp — with an edge

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