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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. firm — a company
  11. dip — to sink
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — completely
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. firm — steady
  18. ground — the earth

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