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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. club — for golf
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. bound — tied together
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — to be able to
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. club — a group
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — a tin

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