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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. scale — in music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. charge — in control
  13. wind — moving air
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. charge — a price
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. charge — electricity
  21. branch — a division
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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