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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.

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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: spell · kid · calf · band · straw · rock · ball · pitch

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitch — completely
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spell — letters
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. band — a music group
  10. rock — a stone
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rock — music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. kid — child
  24. band — a ring

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