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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: bay · pitcher · spring · calf · pop · spell · dip · pitch

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pop — soda
  3. spell — letters
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. pop — music
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. spell — magic
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spring — of water
  24. dip — a sauce

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