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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. swing — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — in sport
  24. bore — to tire

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