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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — a tin
  4. drill — the tool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. drill — army training
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. shower — rain
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. can — to be able to
  14. shower — to wash
  15. date — the fruit
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. squash — to crush
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. season — of the year
  24. drill — a practice

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