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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. swing — music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. swing — in golf
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — a hint
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — a signal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — of the year
  24. hide — to keep secret

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