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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: calf · kick · pitcher · tube · rush · ground · board · saw

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — a committee
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ground — the earth
  10. tube — a container
  11. board — to get on
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. kick — in football
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. tube — the underground
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. saw — the tool

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