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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: calf · mouse · season · tear · file · bat · court · suit

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. file — a tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. file — a document
  9. suit — in cards
  10. season — of the year
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bat — the animal
  15. tear — to rip
  16. season — in sport
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. court — of law
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. court — for sport
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. court — of a king

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