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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · net · spell · mine · calf · pitch · bear · mug

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — a face
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mug — a cup
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mug — to rob
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. net — after costs
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. date — the fruit
  12. spell — letters
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bear — the animal
  18. net — in sport
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. net — for catching
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bear — to put up with

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