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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rest — what's left
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bark — to shout
  9. track — a song
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. net — in sport
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. track — to keep track
  16. net — after costs
  17. track — a path
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — for catching
  24. ground — a position

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