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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: hand · club · field · calf · leaves · staff · net · ball

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — in cards
  4. net — for catching
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. field — farmland
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hand — help
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. staff — employees
  11. field — a subject
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. staff — a stick
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. net — after costs
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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