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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: stick · calf · court · last · cell · object · pound · track

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. object — a thing
  3. court — of law
  4. cell — in biology
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. last — finally
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. track — a song
  10. cell — a phone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. last — final
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. court — for sport
  19. object — an aim
  20. track — a path
  21. object — to protest
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. last — to go on
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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