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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: calf · present · game · nail · cap · wound · bat · object

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. object — an aim
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. present — there
  7. object — to protest
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. object — a thing
  10. present — a gift
  11. cap — a hat
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. present — the time now
  19. bat — the animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — a match
  24. wound — an injury

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