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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 120 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 · foot · calf · pound · hand · pit · mouse · fan

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. row — to paddle
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mouse — the animal

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