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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: firm · arm · pitcher · toast · pitch · swing · bank · calf

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. firm — a company
  4. bank — of a river
  5. firm — decided
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. toast — bread
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bank — for money
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pitch — completely
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. swing — to play on

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