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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: arm · pass · calf · fine · pitch · swing · tear · spell

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fine — all right
  3. swing — in golf
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fine — high quality
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitch — completely
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. arm — a part of something

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