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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: racket · hand · suit · mine · toast · firm · cell · calf

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cell — a phone
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mine — for digging
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. toast — bread
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cell — in biology
  23. hand — help
  24. suit — to fit

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