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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 120 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.

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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — to come down
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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