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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · nail · squash · row · club · pitcher · cold · craft

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cold — an illness
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. club — for golf
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. row — a line
  15. cold — not warm
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. club — a group
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. club — for dancing

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