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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 116 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: rock · mark · calf · branch · tear · tube · safe · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. branch — a division
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. tear — to rip
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. court — of law
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. court — for sport
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rock — a stone
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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