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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. band — a music group
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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