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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: bear · shower · kick · calf · firm · pitcher · track · pound

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — decided
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pound — a weight
  5. kick — in football
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. firm — a company
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. track — a path
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. track — a song
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. track — to keep track
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. firm — steady

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