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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: calf · charge · bat · fork · snap · court · cabinet · ball

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. court — of a king
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. charge — in control
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fork — in a road
  14. court — for sport
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. court — of law
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — a price
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — electricity
  23. snap — to click
  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