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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: chair · pit · rest · arm · deal · jam · roll · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chair — a leader
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pit — in a race
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. roll — a cake
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rest — a break
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. roll — a list
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pit — a hole

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