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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: rash · calf · object · pop · season · cap · firm · net

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. net — in sport
  3. object — to protest
  4. cap — of ice
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. season — of the year
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. firm — a company
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cap — a hat
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. object — a thing
  14. rash — a series
  15. season — in sport
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pop — soda
  19. net — after costs
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. firm — decided
  22. object — an aim
  23. net — for catching
  24. pop — music

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