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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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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 · clip · foot · arm · pass · temple · chip

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. clip — a video
  6. pass — a permit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. foot — a measure
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. clip — for paper
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chip — for betting

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