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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
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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: pit · tear · arm · pop · net · calf · row · rush

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pop — to visit
  8. tear — to rip
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. net — after costs
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. row — a line
  20. net — in sport
  21. pit — a hole
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. tear — from crying

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