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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 120 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bound — tied together
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bound — obliged
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bore — to drill
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — certain
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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