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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · leaves · calf · court · file · bulb · stick · rash

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pound — a weight
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. court — of a king
  9. file — a document
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rash — a series
  14. bulb — for light
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. court — for sport
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — of law

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