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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: rule · sharp · pound · club · calf · chest

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. club — a group
  5. pound — a weight
  6. club — for golf
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rule — government
  10. chest — a box
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — a law
  18. chest — of your body

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