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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: mouse · calf · lash · hand · drill · club · pitcher · pop

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. drill — army training
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hand — help
  10. pop — to visit
  11. drill — a practice
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — a group
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. hand — in cards
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. club — for golf
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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