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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.

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: calf · mouse · suit · swing · straw · season · game · racket

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. season — of the year
  15. suit — in cards
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. swing — in golf
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. game — a match
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. swing — music

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