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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 120 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: band · calf · arm · pitch · sharp · chair · kick · pop

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. band — a ring
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. band — a music group
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pop — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. calf — a young animal

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