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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. plane — a tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pound — a weight
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. court — for sport
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ground — a position
  16. court — of a king
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of law
  19. kid — child
  20. march — the month
  21. ground — crushed
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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