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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: cue · pit · hand · foot · chip · calf · spring · pitch

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. spring — a coil
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pit — in a race
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spring — of water
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. spring — the season
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cue — a hint
  24. calf — a young animal

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