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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. object — an aim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. can — a tin
  16. object — a thing
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. game — a match
  19. object — to protest
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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