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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: pitcher · bore · mug · game · cap · can · perch · calf

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bore — to tire
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cap — a hat
  10. can — a tin
  11. mug — to rob
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — of ice
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — to be able to
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. game — a match
  22. bore — to drill
  23. can — a tin
  24. game — wild animals

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