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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. net — for catching
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. toast — bread
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cap — a lid
  17. net — after costs
  18. cap — a hat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. net — in sport
  23. pop — music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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