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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: band · firm · arm · racket · calf · stick · field · cabinet

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. firm — steady
  6. band — a music group
  7. firm — a company
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. field — a subject
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. field — farmland
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. firm — decided
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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