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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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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: racket · deal · stick · ground · calf · kid · mark · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mug — to rob
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mug — a cup
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. kid — child
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — a trace

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