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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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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: net · snap · pitcher · rest · suit · track · calf · wind

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. suit — to fit
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wind — moving air
  11. suit — clothes
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — in cards
  16. track — to keep track
  17. net — for catching
  18. track — a path
  19. snap — to click
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. track — a song
  24. pitcher — a jug

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