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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 120 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: pit · court · calf · stick · ground · net · pound · stock

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ground — a position
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. net — after costs
  8. ground — crushed
  9. court — for sport
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — shares
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. court — of a king
  15. pit — in a race
  16. net — in sport
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. court — of law
  19. stock — goods
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — for catching
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pit — a hole

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