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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 · cabinet · jam · charge · fork · hand · straw · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. charge — a price
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. charge — in control
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fork — in a road
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. hand — help
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. straw — dry grass

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