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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: calf · court · ball · pop · club · bay · season · straw

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pop — soda
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. club — a group
  9. court — of a king
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pop — to visit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ball — a dance
  20. court — of law
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. straw — a straw man

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