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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. kid — child
  4. pound — a weight
  5. object — an aim
  6. mug — to rob
  7. object — a thing
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. object — to protest
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. kid — to tease

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