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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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 — of the leg
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. object — to protest
  7. court — of a king
  8. chest — a box
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. object — a thing
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. current — happening now
  20. court — of law
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. object — an aim
  23. band — a rubber band
  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