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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: calf · rash · game · pitch · mark · arm · deal · rest

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. game — wild animals
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rash — hasty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rest — a break
  11. mark — a trace
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rest — what's left
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. game — a match
  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