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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: mouse · foot · ground · bark · calf · band · rush · ball

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. band — a music group
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rush — hurry
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ground — a position
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ground — crushed
  22. band — a ring
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ball — a great time

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