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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: shower · foot · suit · pitch · fan · pound · calf · lean

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. foot — a measure
  4. suit — in cards
  5. lean — thin
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lean — to bend
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. suit — to fit
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. suit — clothes
  19. shower — rain
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. foot — part of the body

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