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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 · calf · sharp · plane · mug · pitch · swing · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. swing — music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitch — completely
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — a face
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mug — a cup
  17. swing — in golf
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pitch — a sports field

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