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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pound — a weight
  3. club — a group
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. club — for golf
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of a car

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