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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · club · foot · rash · rule · calf · track · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rule — a law
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — government
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. track — a song
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. track — a path
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. club — for golf
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rash — hasty
  23. club — a group
  24. pitcher — a jug

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