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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · field · pitch · calf · content · bear · mine · roll

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. field — for sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bear — the animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pitch — completely
  19. roll — a list
  20. field — farmland
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. field — a subject
  24. arm — part of the body

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