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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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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: hand · calf · rule · bat · bulb · arm · content · pitcher

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rule — a law
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. content — the amount
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. rule — government
  17. bat — the animal
  18. hand — help
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bat — in an idiom

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