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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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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: craft · wound · mate · arm · drill · pitch · stand · calf

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. drill — a practice
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mate — a friend
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — a partner
  16. drill — the tool
  17. craft — boats
  18. drill — army training
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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