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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. row — a line
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — to paddle
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. suit — to fit
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. prune — to trim

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