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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: chair · track · present · bulb · firm · calf · trunk · arm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bulb — for light
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. present — there
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — steady
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — a song
  13. chair — a leader
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. track — to keep track
  19. present — the time now
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. track — a path
  23. present — a gift
  24. firm — decided

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