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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 · key · leaves · rash · branch · pitch · scale · calf

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rash — a series
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. key — for a lock
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. scale — in music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rash — hasty

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