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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pit — in a race
  9. branch — a division
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. row — to paddle
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mark — to pay attention

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