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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. swing — to play on
  5. key — for a lock
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wake — a trail
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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