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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
468
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: mate · pitcher · calf · pit · kick · net · saw · drill

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. net — in sport
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pit — a hole
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — a partner
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. drill — army training
  24. calf — a young animal

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