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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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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: pitcher · calf · season · bay · net · chest · straw · racket

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. season — in sport
  4. net — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. net — after costs
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. net — for catching

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