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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: rash · row · calf · fan · ground · pitcher · racket · spring

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ground — crushed
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spring — of water
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ground — the earth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rash — a series
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rash — hasty
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ground — a position
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — a line

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