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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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 — a sales talk
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. firm — decided
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hand — help
  12. pitch — completely
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rest — a break
  15. bass — the fish
  16. firm — steady
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bass — low music
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rest — what's left
  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