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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: arm · coach · pass · kick · stand · ground · racket · cell

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stand — to bear
  3. ground — the earth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cell — in biology
  6. kick — in football
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. ground — a position
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ground — crushed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cell — a phone
  24. coach — a trainer

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