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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.

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 · leaves · land · rock · calf · squash · tube · present

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rock — music
  3. court — of law
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — for sport
  7. tube — a container
  8. present — a gift
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. present — the time now
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. land — a country
  14. squash — to crush
  15. land — to come down
  16. present — there
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tube — the underground
  20. court — of a king
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. land — ground
  24. leaves — to go away

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