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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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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: pitch · shower · rash · bowl · arm · hand · calf · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rash — a series
  3. hand — help
  4. fork — in a road
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. shower — rain
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rash — hasty
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. arm — a part of something

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