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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. arm — part of the body
  3. club — for golf
  4. pound — a weight
  5. craft — a skill
  6. club — a group
  7. bass — low music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bass — the fish
  16. craft — boats
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. club — for dancing
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. deal — to handle
  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