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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 120 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: can · shower · calf · fine · rush · stick · foot · court

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fine — high quality
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — of a king
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. foot — a measure
  20. shower — rain
  21. fine — all right
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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