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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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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: spell · pop · pound · calf · bear · kid

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pop — to visit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pop — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. spell — letters
  11. kid — child
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — soda
  14. spell — magic
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bear — the 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