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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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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: racket · cell · kick · calf · chest · board · cap · ball

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cap — a lid
  3. kick — in football
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cell — in biology
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cell — a phone
  11. ball — a great time
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chest — a box
  16. board — to get on
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a committee

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