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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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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: calf · bank · land · ground · hand · can · lean · court

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. can — a tin
  8. bank — for money
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. court — of law
  11. land — to come down
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. court — for sport
  19. hand — help
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — of a king
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ground — crushed

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