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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mate — a partner

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