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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: pitcher · rule · pitch · roll · can · chair · calf · game

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. can — a tin
  8. game — a match
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rule — government
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rule — a law
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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