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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fine — all right
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fine — high quality
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mug — a face
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mug — to rob
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pound — a weight
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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