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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a ring
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. can — to be able to
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — to recline
  12. band — a music group
  13. snap — to click
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — a tin
  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