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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: dip · calf · can · kick · stem · pitch · deal · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stem — to come from
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. calf — a young animal

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