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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: tube · mine · calf · season · mark · bound · wake · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. court — for sport
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. season — in sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tube — a container
  16. bound — obliged
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wake — a trail
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bound — tied together
  21. court — of a king
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. mark — a grade

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