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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a dance
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rest — what's left
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — to fit
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. date — the fruit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rest — a break
  22. firm — steady
  23. ball — a great time
  24. arm — a part of something

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