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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 120 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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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: bank · racket · mate · arm · file · calf · perch · pound

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. perch — the fish
  11. file — a line of people
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mate — a partner
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. pound — a weight
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. perch — for a bird
  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