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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 116 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: bay · bat · deal · calf · stick · mark · ground · fine

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. deal — to handle
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. ground — a position
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fine — high quality
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fine — all right
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bay — a horse colour

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