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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: calf · staff · hand · ground · cue · pitcher · swing · dip

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. staff — a stick
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hand — help
  11. dip — to sink
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cue — a signal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ground — a position
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. swing — music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cue — a hint
  24. hand — part of the body

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