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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: content · ball · calf · spell · arm · swing · deal · mug

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. content — the amount
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mug — a face
  7. ball — a great time
  8. spell — a short time
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mug — to rob
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — to handle
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ball — a dance
  16. spell — magic
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. content — happy
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mug — a cup
  23. swing — music
  24. spell — letters

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