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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: mark · trunk · calf · court · plane · row · pop · cabinet

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mark — a grade
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mark — a trace
  7. court — of a king
  8. pop — soda
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. court — for sport
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. court — of law
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. row — to paddle
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. calf — a young animal

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