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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. staff — employees
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitch — completely
  5. firm — steady
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. staff — employees
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. staff — a stick
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. swing — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. swing — to play on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. firm — a company
  24. scale — in music

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