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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 · calf · deal · mate · field · key · dip · pass

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. field — a subject
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. key — for a lock
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mate — a partner
  16. dip — to sink
  17. field — farmland
  18. key — in music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. key — the most important part
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pass — a permit

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