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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 116 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: present · calf · swing · firm · band · craft · court · wax

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. swing — in golf
  3. present — there
  4. swing — to play on
  5. firm — decided
  6. craft — boats
  7. court — of law
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. present — the time now
  10. band — a music group
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. swing — music
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. band — a ring
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. craft — a skill
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. court — for sport
  21. wax — to grow
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. present — a gift
  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