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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 120 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: chest · calf · game · fork · racket · ruler · bark · foot

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bark — to shout
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fork — in a road
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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