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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. current — happening now
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cue — a hint
  14. current — electric
  15. object — to protest
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kid — to tease
  18. current — of water
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. kid — child
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. pit — a hole

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