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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. board — a committee
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. net — for catching
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. board — to get on
  18. bat — the animal
  19. band — a ring
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wax — to grow
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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