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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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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: row · cap · court · calf · pit · rash · deal · mark

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cap — a lid
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — of law
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cap — of ice
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pit — a hole
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rash — a series
  19. court — for sport
  20. cap — a hat
  21. court — of a king
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mark — a grade

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