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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: ground · racket · club · calf · kick · squash · net · arm

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — after costs
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. net — for catching
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — crushed
  14. net — in sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. ground — the earth
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. club — a group
  20. ground — a position
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. squash — the sport

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