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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: cue · rash · tube · court · craft · wax · march · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. march — the month
  11. rash — a series
  12. tube — a container
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. court — of law
  16. craft — a skill
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. court — for sport
  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