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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.

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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: bat · lie · calf · straw · bowl · pound · pitcher · cabinet

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bat — for baseball
  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