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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 · mug · ruler · kick · wake · bat · racket · fork

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — in football
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fork — a garden 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