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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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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: fork · club · calf · temple · kick · field · squash · pitch

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. field — for sport
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. squash — the sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — a group
  23. pitch — completely
  24. temple — a place of worship

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