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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hand — in cards
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. hand — help
  6. land — a country
  7. court — of law
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. court — of a king
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. snap — to click
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. court — for sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bank — for money
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. calf — of the leg

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