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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bore — to tire
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — to drill
  8. field — farmland
  9. mug — a cup
  10. field — a subject
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. field — for sport
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. clip — a video
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ball — a dance
  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