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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.

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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 · bound · cabinet · ground · sharp · spell · charge · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ground — the earth
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ground — a position

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