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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 · ruler · swing · game · arm · wound · band · bass

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bass — the fish
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. game — a match
  7. bass — low music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. band — a music group
  12. swing — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. band — a ring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. swing — in golf
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. game — wild animals
  24. band — a rubber band

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