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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: calf · root · clip · pitch · net · can · sharp · object

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — a thing
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. object — an aim
  7. clip — a video
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitch — completely
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — to cut
  14. object — to protest
  15. root — of a word
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. clip — for paper
  18. root — the cause
  19. net — for catching
  20. sharp — clever
  21. root — of a plant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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