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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: row · object · pitch · pound · staff · chest · net · calf

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. row — a line
  3. staff — employees
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chest — of your body
  6. net — for catching
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. object — to protest
  13. staff — a stick
  14. net — in sport
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. row — to paddle
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. object — a thing
  22. net — after costs
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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