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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — in sport
  8. craft — boats
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. cell — in biology
  16. net — for catching
  17. mark — a grade
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cell — a phone
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mark — a trace
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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