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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: game · net · cap · rest · pitcher · toast · calf · suit

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. suit — in cards
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cap — a hat
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. toast — bread
  18. rest — a break
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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