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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: suit · pound · game · calf · saw · charge · sharp · arm

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. game — wild animals
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. suit — clothes
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. suit — to fit
  10. sharp — clever
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. pound — a weight
  14. saw — the tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. suit — in cards
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. game — a match
  20. charge — in control
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. calf — a young animal

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