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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: band · calf · stick · wax · cabinet · pound · row · court

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. court — for sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — a line
  5. court — of law
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. band — a music group
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. band — a ring
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pound — a weight
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. court — of a king
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. band — a rubber band

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