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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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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 · calf · rock · arm · ball · ruler · root · wind

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ball — a great time
  4. root — the cause
  5. rock — music
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pitch — completely
  12. root — of a word
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitch — a sports field

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