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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · pitcher · march · fine · key · mouse · arm · club

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. key — in music
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. march — the month
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — for dancing
  14. sharp — clever
  15. club — a group
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. key — for a lock
  18. march — music
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. club — for golf
  24. march — the month

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