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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · ball · cap · fork · wind · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fork — in a road

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