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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: pit · calf · rock · capital · bass · chest · arm · present

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pit — a hole
  8. present — there
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. chest — a box
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. chest — of your body
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. present — the time now

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