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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: kick · drill · object · race · net · bass · calf · cue

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. bass — low music
  2. net — after costs
  3. drill — army training
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. race — humankind
  10. cue — a signal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. object — to protest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bass — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. race — a contest
  18. cue — for pool
  19. kick — in football
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cue — a hint
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bass — the instrument
  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