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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. court — of law
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. key — for a lock
  6. charge — electricity
  7. court — of a king
  8. kick — in football
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. court — for sport
  13. key — in music
  14. perch — the fish
  15. file — a tool
  16. charge — in control
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pound — a weight
  22. charge — a price
  23. key — the most important part
  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