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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: bark · wound · drill · calf · pitcher · squash · cap · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cap — a lid
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — of ice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wound — an injury
  24. squash — the sport

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