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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: mine · wound · calf · bowl · squash · racket · cap · foot

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cap — of ice
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mine — for digging
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. squash — to crush

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