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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: ball · nail · deal · calf · bear · pit · mine · chest

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. deal — to handle
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chest — of your body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chest — a box
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bear — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pit — in a race
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chest — of your body
  24. calf — of the leg

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