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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 120 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: land · saw · firm · racket · bank · calf · content · foot

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. land — to come down
  4. firm — a company
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — a country
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bank — of a river
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. content — happy
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. content — the amount
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. land — ground
  21. bank — for money
  22. foot — a measure
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — a young animal

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