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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. court — for sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — a city
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. court — of a king
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. drill — army training
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — of law
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pound — a weight
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. capital — money

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