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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: calf · net · pitcher · tear · march · content · ball · cue

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. net — for catching
  6. cue — a signal
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. march — music
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ball — a great time
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. content — happy
  18. cue — for pool
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tear — from crying
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. net — in sport
  24. content — the amount

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