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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spell — a short time
  3. board — to get on
  4. spell — magic
  5. firm — a company
  6. spell — letters
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — a list
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. roll — a cake
  17. firm — steady
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mark — a grade
  21. firm — decided
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ground — a position
  24. calf — of the leg

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