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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · mug · trunk · court · scale · mine · pound · bass

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. court — of a king
  3. mine — for digging
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. court — of law
  6. mug — to rob
  7. kick — in football
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. scale — size or range
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bass — low music
  12. scale — in music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. court — for sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mug — a face
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. trunk — of a tree

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