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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. pop — soda
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rash — a series
  9. pitch — completely
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — for catching
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — music
  16. cue — for pool
  17. net — after costs
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rash — hasty
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rash — on the skin

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