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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: court · stick · file · pop · club · pound · mouse · content

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. file — a tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. content — happy
  6. court — of law
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pop — music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. content — the amount
  15. pop — soda
  16. file — a document
  17. club — a group
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. court — for sport
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. court — of a king

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