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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. plane — a tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. last — finally
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — final
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wind — moving air
  19. net — for catching
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. can — to be able to
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pitcher — a jug

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