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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mug — a face
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. band — a music group
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mug — a cup
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a ring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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