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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. date — the fruit
  6. court — of law
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. object — to protest
  14. court — for sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pound — a weight
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. club — for golf
  23. court — of a king
  24. calf — a young 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