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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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · land · file · jam · firm · stick · calf · net

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. net — in sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. file — a line of people
  10. land — to come down
  11. row — a line
  12. firm — decided
  13. land — a country
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. firm — steady
  16. file — a document
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. net — for catching
  19. row — to paddle
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — ground
  23. firm — a company
  24. jam — a tight spot

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