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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: roll · rule · cap · net · stick · swing · calf · racket

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — government
  3. roll — a cake
  4. net — in sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. roll — a list
  10. cap — a lid
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. rule — a law
  15. swing — music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. swing — to play on
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cap — a hat
  23. net — for catching
  24. racket — for tennis

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