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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spring — a coil
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. track — a path
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spring — of water
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. spring — the season
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  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