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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: calf · court · last · saw · jam · cap · can · racket

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. court — of law
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. court — for sport
  5. last — finally
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cap — a hat
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cap — a lid
  13. court — of a king
  14. can — a tin
  15. cap — of ice
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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