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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: pitcher · bowl · bore · court · face · arm · calf · branch

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. face — to confront
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. face — part of the head
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. face — to point toward
  13. court — of a king
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. bowl — to roll

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