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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: calf · fine · pitcher · cell · nail · arm · date · can

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. can — to be able to
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fine — high quality
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fine — all right
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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