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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.

Make a worksheet

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: calf · cap · court · clip · pitch · object · temple · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. object — an aim
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. object — a thing
  8. cap — a hat
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. court — for sport
  12. cap — of ice
  13. court — of law
  14. clip — for paper
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. clip — to cut
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. clip — a video
  21. object — to protest
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. rush — to hurry

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