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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: calf · coach · lash · clip · ground · racket · rule · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. clip — a video
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rule — a law
  8. ground — crushed
  9. clip — for paper
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ground — a position
  15. pit — a hole
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rule — government
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. calf — of the leg

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