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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
468
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: perch · pitcher · spring · pitch · bay · calf · arm · drill

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. drill — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. spring — the season
  20. perch — the fish
  21. drill — a practice
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. drill — army training
  24. arm — a part of something

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