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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — a thing
  15. march — the month
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. march — the month
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. toast — bread
  21. chip — for betting
  22. march — music
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. calf — a young animal

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