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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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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: racket · kick · calf · net · vault · hand · bay · chip

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chip — for betting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. net — in sport
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hand — help

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