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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: pound · deal · mug · key · kid · calf · safe · court

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. court — for sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. court — of a king
  7. mug — a cup
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. court — of law
  13. key — in music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kid — to tease
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mug — a face
  20. kid — child
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pound — a weight

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