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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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468
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: row · ball · bulb · pitcher · calf · club · hand · press

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. row — to paddle
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hand — help
  7. club — a group
  8. ball — a dance
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. club — for golf
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. hand — in cards
  18. press — to push
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bulb — for light
  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