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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ground — the earth
  10. last — finally
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kid — child
  14. last — final
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ground — crushed
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ground — a position
  22. last — to go on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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