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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: content · net · suit · deal · row · calf · kick · fall

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. net — after costs
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. net — for catching
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. content — the amount
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kick — in football
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. net — in sport
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. suit — clothes
  17. row — a line
  18. fall — to drop
  19. suit — to fit
  20. content — happy
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fall — the season
  23. suit — in cards
  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