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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: fall · drill · bear · pitch · club · can · calf · last

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. drill — army training
  6. club — for golf
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. last — final
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. can — to be able to
  16. last — to go on
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. last — finally
  19. fall — the season
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — a group
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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