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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: pit · ground · firm · foot · hand · cabinet · saw · calf

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ground — crushed
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hand — in cards
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. firm — decided
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hand — help
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pit — a hole

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