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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
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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: mark · pitch · mouse · land · firm · chest · calf · hand

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. land — a country
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hand — help
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. land — to come down
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. chest — of your body
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. chest — a box
  23. land — ground
  24. calf — a young 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