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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. date — the fruit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. root — of a word
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bat — the animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. spell — magic
  17. root — of a plant
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spell — letters
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. can — a tin

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