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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 · court · net · tube · present · foot · cabinet · date

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. court — of a king
  6. present — the time now
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. net — in sport
  10. present — a gift
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. date — the fruit
  15. present — there
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. tube — the underground
  24. net — after costs

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