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

Word bank: stick · pound · ball · kid · object · cell

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. object — to protest
  4. kid — child
  5. cell — in biology
  6. kid — to tease
  7. object — an aim
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. object — a thing
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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