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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitch — completely
  5. spell — letters
  6. firm — decided
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. spell — a short time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cap — a hat
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spell — magic
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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