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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: bore · mouse · calf · racket · band · mate · pound · court

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bore — to tire
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. band — a music group
  12. mate — to breed
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. band — a ring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — for sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — of law

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