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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · pound · calf · racket · cap · suit

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. cap — of ice
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spring — the season
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cap — a hat
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — a lid

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