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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: bear · track · foot · content · wind · calf · pit · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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 — a hole
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wind — moving air
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. content — the amount
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a path
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wind — moving air
  15. content — happy
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. track — a song
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. calf — a young animal

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