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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: court · calf · fall · kick · staff · cap · club · hand

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fall — to drop
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. club — for dancing
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — a group
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cap — of ice
  23. club — for golf
  24. court — for sport

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