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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 120 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: calf · pitch · arm · dip · bat · club · leaves · bear

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. club — a group
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bear — the animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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