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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 120 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: calf · pitch · cue · stick · mate · mouse · kick · file

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mate — to breed
  4. file — a document
  5. kick — in football
  6. pitch — completely
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. file — a tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. file — a line of people
  24. kick — with a leg

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