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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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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: roll · ball · ground · pit · date · suit · calf · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. date — the fruit
  10. roll — a cake
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ball — a great time
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ground — a position
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — a hole
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ball — a dance

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