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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.

Make a worksheet

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: court · saw · mate · object · calf · racket · spring · cap

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mate — a partner
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spring — a coil
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — of law
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spring — the season
  11. object — to protest
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cap — a lid
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — a thing
  18. court — for sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. court — of a king
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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