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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rash — a series
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. ground — a position
  10. suit — in cards
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — the most important part
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ground — the earth
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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