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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: tear · calf · stick · chest · roll · mark · foot · pitch

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. roll — a list
  6. chest — of your body
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. tear — from crying
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chest — a box
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mark — a trace
  24. foot — a measure

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