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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.

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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — for money
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. saw — the tool
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. content — happy
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — in a road
  24. arm — a part of something

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