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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: foot · pound · rock · fall · calf · ground · prune · charge

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rock — music
  5. charge — in control
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. charge — a price
  8. ground — a position
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pound — a weight
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fall — the season
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rock — a stone
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fall — to drop
  19. prune — to trim
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rock — to move gently

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