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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rock — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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