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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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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 · bound · racket · press · plane · arm · court · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bound — certain
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spring — of water
  7. bound — obliged
  8. court — of a king
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. court — of law
  13. spring — the season
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. press — to push
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. court — for sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. press — a publisher
  24. plane — an aircraft

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