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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 120 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: bark · nail · calf · pitcher · wound · present · cue · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — a gift
  7. object — a thing
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. present — the time now
  13. cue — a signal
  14. present — there
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cue — a hint
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. object — to protest
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. nail — on a finger

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