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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · net · pitcher · charge · ground · stick

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ground — a position
  6. charge — a price
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — electricity
  10. net — after costs
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. charge — in control
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ground — crushed

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