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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 120 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: calf · land · key · ground · bound · swing · pound · mouse

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. key — in music
  7. land — a country
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. land — ground
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. land — to come down
  18. swing — music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ground — a position
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. ground — the earth

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