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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. club — for golf
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — a tool
  12. club — a group
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. land — ground
  23. saw — the tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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