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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.

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: cabinet · pound · stick · coach · pitcher · calf · spring · mate

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mate — a friend
  6. spring — of water
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. spring — the season
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — a coil
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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