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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: bay · pitcher · stick · kid · rock · ground · calf · temple

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rock — music
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rock — a stone
  15. kid — child
  16. ground — a position
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. ground — crushed

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