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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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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 · press · calf · pit · bat · arm · swing · squash

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. band — a music group
  16. squash — to crush
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. press — to push
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bat — the animal
  23. band — a ring
  24. bat — for baseball

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