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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — to protest
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. object — a thing
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. hand — help
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. object — an aim
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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