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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
468
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: land · pitch · calf · cabinet · mate · jam · mug · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. land — a country
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mug — a cup
  7. land — ground
  8. mug — a face
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mug — to rob
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. land — to come down
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mate — a friend
  24. foot — part of the body

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