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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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468
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: calf · kick · dip · fall · pitcher · squash · ball · racket

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. kick — in football
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fall — the season
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. squash — to crush
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. dip — to sink
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. kick — a thrill

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