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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — to crush
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rock — music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cue — a signal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. swing — music
  23. drill — army training
  24. cue — for pool

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