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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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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: row · trunk · calf · staff · court · rush · pitch · pound

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. court — for sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. court — of law
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pound — a weight
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rush — hurry

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