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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: march · charge · bass · can · calf · pound · roll · court

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. can — a tin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. roll — a list
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bass — low music
  11. charge — a price
  12. bass — the fish
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. charge — in control
  16. court — of law
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — of a king
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. court — for sport
  22. can — to be able to
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pound — a weight

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