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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: pound · ground · leaves · court · stick · capital · bear · calf

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ground — a position
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ground — crushed
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. court — of law
  14. capital — a city
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. court — of a king
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ground — the earth
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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