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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: arm · pitcher · jam · perch · pitch · calf · dip · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. board — a committee
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. perch — the fish
  16. dip — to sink
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — completely
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. board — to get on

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