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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: game · arm · fork · court · wax · drill · calf · mine

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mine — for digging
  6. drill — army training
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. drill — the tool
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. drill — a practice
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — for sport

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