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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: game · mug · pitcher · calf · wake · arm · track · season

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. track — a path
  8. mug — a face
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mug — to rob

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