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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: suit · perch · bank · hand · ground · calf · land · staff

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. hand — in cards
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ground — crushed
  8. perch — the fish
  9. land — ground
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. staff — a stick
  14. suit — to fit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hand — help
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bank — for money
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ground — a position

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