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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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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 · pound · snap · degree · cell · calf · charge · stick

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. snap — to click
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. court — for sport
  6. cell — in biology
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. court — of law
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. degree — an amount

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