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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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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: mark · deal · calf · kid · swing · pitch · cue · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cue — for pool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mark — a grade
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mark — a trace
  11. kid — child
  12. hand — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. swing — music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cue — a signal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitch — completely
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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