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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ball — a dance
  3. game — a match
  4. can — to be able to
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. kick — in football
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rock — music
  22. game — wild animals
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pitcher — a jug

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