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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: spell · calf · rule · pound · spring · object · racket · pitcher

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. object — a thing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. object — an aim
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pound — a weight
  12. spell — letters
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. object — to protest
  15. spring — a coil
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spring — of water
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spring — the season
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spell — magic
  24. rule — government

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