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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · season · cell · board · pitcher · pound · lean · court

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. lean — to bend
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cell — a phone
  7. lean — thin
  8. season — of the year
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. cell — in biology
  17. court — of a king
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. court — of law
  22. season — in sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — for sport

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