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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.

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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: cue · row · game · calf · stand · present · clip · arm

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. clip — for paper
  5. present — a gift
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cue — a signal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. present — there
  13. stand — to bear
  14. clip — a video
  15. game — wild animals
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. present — the time now
  18. game — a match
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. clip — to cut
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. row — a line

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