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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. branch — a division
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. key — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fan — a supporter

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