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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. present — a gift
  6. last — final
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. present — the time now
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — finally
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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