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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: calf · kid · row · board · arm · key · perch · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. kid — child
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. key — the most important part
  7. board — to get on
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. row — to paddle
  12. board — a committee
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. row — a line
  16. key — in music
  17. season — of the year
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. kid — to tease
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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