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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: spring · rock · racket · saw · mug · calf · fan · pitcher

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mug — to rob
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mug — a cup
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — a face
  15. rock — music
  16. spring — of water
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — a stone
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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