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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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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: pound · trunk · mate · plane · firm · bark · calf · court

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bark — to shout
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. plane — a tool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. firm — decided
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mate — a friend
  14. firm — a company
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mate — to breed
  19. court — of a king
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. firm — steady
  24. pound — to hit hard

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