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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: arm · roll · club · spring · calf · pitcher · bulb · bowl

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. club — a group
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bulb — for light
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spring — of water
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. roll — a list
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the body

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