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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cap — a lid
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cap — of ice
  9. degree — an amount
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bore — to drill
  13. court — for sport
  14. degree — from a university
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. bore — to tire
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. firm — a company
  20. cap — a hat
  21. court — of a king
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. court — of law

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