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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kid — to tease
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. object — to protest
  13. kid — child
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. object — an aim

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