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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bound — certain
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fork — in a road
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bound — tied together
  22. swing — music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bound — obliged

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