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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — in music
  4. court — of law
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. court — for sport
  10. present — there
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. court — of a king
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitch — completely
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fan — a supporter

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