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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tube — a container
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pitch — completely
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. tube — the underground

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