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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: club · pitch · calf · arm · cell · face · charge · cold

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cell — in biology
  5. charge — in control
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. club — for golf
  8. cell — a phone
  9. charge — electricity
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. face — part of the head
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. charge — a price
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. face — to confront
  24. cold — an illness

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