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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. firm — a company
  3. kick — in football
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. firm — decided
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. net — in sport
  10. firm — steady
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — in cards
  16. march — the month
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. suit — clothes
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. net — for catching

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