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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: calf · pop · net · drill · sharp · stick · stand · ground

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ground — crushed
  5. drill — army training
  6. net — after costs
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — a position
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pop — soda
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. net — for catching
  20. pop — music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. net — in sport
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ground — the earth

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