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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
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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: nail · calf · spell · can · ground · wax · pitcher · club

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ground — a position
  3. can — a tin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wax — to grow
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. club — for dancing
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — letters
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. club — a group
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for golf

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