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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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Word bank
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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: date · staff · pound · pitch · rock · clip · calf · land

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitch — completely
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. clip — to cut
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rock — music
  11. pound — a weight
  12. land — to come down
  13. staff — employees
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. land — a country
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. date — the fruit
  21. land — ground
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rock — a stone

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