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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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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. field — for sport
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — the animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. club — for golf
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pound — a weight
  23. club — a group
  24. squash — the vegetable

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