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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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. pitcher — a jug
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. suit — to fit
  7. band — a music group
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cap — a lid
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. deal — to handle
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. track — a path
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — a song
  20. suit — clothes
  21. object — to protest
  22. band — a ring
  23. cap — of ice
  24. track — to keep track

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