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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: firm · ball · bark · coach · band · pound · calf · land

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ball — a dance
  6. firm — decided
  7. band — a music group
  8. pound — a weight
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. land — a country
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bark — to shout
  13. land — to come down
  14. firm — a company
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. land — ground
  20. band — a ring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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