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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: rash · court · calf · chair · ball · foot · tear · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — of law
  5. chair — a leader
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tear — from crying
  8. last — final
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. last — to go on
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rash — a series
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. rash — hasty
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ball — a great time
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ball — a dance

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