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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: net · rash · cap · row · rock · fork · calf · arm

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. row — a line
  7. net — for catching
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cap — a hat
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rash — hasty
  17. net — after costs
  18. rock — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rash — a series
  21. rock — a stone
  22. net — in sport
  23. arm — a part of something
  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