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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.

Make a worksheet

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: calf · pit · bear · hand · staff · arm · march · pitcher

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. march — the month
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hand — help
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. staff — employees
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. march — the month
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. march — music
  21. pit — in a race
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  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