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

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. can — a tin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mark — a grade

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