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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: pitcher · cap · wake · rush · bay · mark · calf · swing

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. swing — to play on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. swing — music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wake — a trail
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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