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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: last · game · straw · calf · kick · bass · net · mark

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. last — to go on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. game — a match
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. net — for catching
  14. kick — in football
  15. net — in sport
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. last — final
  20. bass — the fish
  21. net — after costs
  22. bass — low music
  23. last — finally
  24. game — wild animals

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