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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: kick · tube · court · foot · cabinet · pound · rock · kid

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. kid — child
  3. tube — a container
  4. rock — music
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kick — in football
  12. court — of law
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pound — a weight
  18. foot — a measure
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tube — the underground

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