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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: calf · land · toast · bay · court · mouse · tear · firm

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. land — a country
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — a company
  5. court — of a king
  6. tear — from crying
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. toast — bread
  10. land — to come down
  11. tear — to rip
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. court — for sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. land — ground
  20. firm — decided
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mouse — the animal

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