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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: calf · rush · mug · tube · racket · bound · jam · game

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. bound — obliged
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bound — tied together
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mug — to rob
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. game — wild animals
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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