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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · pitch · game · calf · deal · pound

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. game — a match
  3. lean — thin
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lean — to bend
  10. deal — to handle
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — to rest against

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