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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. object — a thing
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. charge — electricity
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. object — an aim
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. object — to protest
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — a partner
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fork — in a road
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. charge — a price
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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