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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · land · straw · date · chair · rest · calf · pop

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pop — music
  4. land — to come down
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pop — soda
  10. land — ground
  11. chair — a leader
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rest — what's left
  15. date — the fruit
  16. land — a country
  17. rest — a break
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pitcher — a jug

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