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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 · pit · safe · calf · trunk · squash · bay · track

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. track — a song
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. court — for sport
  15. track — a path
  16. squash — the sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — of law
  24. safe — out of danger

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