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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 · ground · pitch · fan · ruler · bark · deal · land

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — ground
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pitch — completely

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