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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.

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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: rush · pitcher · court · suit · deal · saw · calf · nail

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — to handle
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. court — of law
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. court — for sport
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. court — of a king
  24. suit — clothes

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