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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pound — a weight
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. shower — rain
  10. scale — in music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pit — a hole
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fork — in a road

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