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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — a position
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — for money
  24. bear — 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