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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
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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: court · tear · firm · perch · content · pop · calf · plane

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. content — happy
  5. pop — to visit
  6. firm — a company
  7. tear — from crying
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pop — soda
  11. court — of a king
  12. pop — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — decided
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. court — for sport
  18. content — the amount
  19. perch — the fish
  20. plane — a tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. court — of law
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. tear — to rip

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