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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · fork · bowl · prune · arm · calf · rush · pitch

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rush — hurry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bass — low music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bass — the fish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. arm — part of the body

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