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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 120 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: ball · safe · root · wound · mug · calf · deal · pitcher

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. root — of a word
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mug — a cup
  8. root — the cause
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mug — a face
  17. wound — an injury
  18. deal — to handle
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. root — of a plant

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