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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: cap · calf · present · rush · fork · spring · court · tear

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. spring — of water
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. present — there
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. cap — of ice
  20. present — the time now
  21. tear — to rip
  22. court — for sport
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. tear — from crying

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