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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.

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: foot · spring · drill · rule · calf · present · pitch · trunk

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. spring — a coil
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pitch — completely
  5. present — there
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. present — the time now
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. spring — the season
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spring — of water
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — a gift

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