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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. file — a line of people
  4. march — the month
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. ground — crushed
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. march — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — a position
  19. march — the month
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — a young 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