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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 · snap · calf · pitch · bulb · game · ruler · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. snap — to click
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. game — a match
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. pitch — completely
  24. game — wild animals

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