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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mug — a face
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. toast — bread
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bass — low music
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pit — in a race
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — in a road
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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