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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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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: bore · rule · pitcher · field · pass · lie · squash · calf

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — a permit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. field — a subject
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. field — for sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bore — to drill
  17. field — farmland
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rule — a law
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rule — government

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