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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: pitch · cold · fork · racket · calf · leaves · tube · object

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitch — completely
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. object — to protest
  9. fork — in a road
  10. tube — a container
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. object — an aim
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. object — a thing
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cold — an illness
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cold — the Cold War

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