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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 116 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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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: pound · fork · stick · calf · mine · leaves · ruler · band

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. band — a ring
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pound — a weight
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a music group
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fork — a garden tool

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