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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: arm · row · fork · swing · pitcher · calf · leaves · bay

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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 — a young animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. row — a line
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. swing — to play on
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. row — to paddle
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. swing — in golf

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