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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: pound · cabinet · calf · rock · pit · kid · arm · rule

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pound — a weight
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rule — a law
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rock — music
  23. rule — government
  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