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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: squash · present · calf · firm · season · pit · kick · hand

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. season — in sport
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. present — there
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. firm — decided
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. firm — steady
  10. present — a gift
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pit — in a race
  13. season — of the year
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. firm — a company
  21. present — the time now
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hand — part of the body

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