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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. land — to come down
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — army training
  5. land — a country
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — ground
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. drill — the tool
  20. swing — music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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