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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 120 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: mug · stick · trunk · pound · pitcher · sharp · fan · arm

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pound — a weight
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mug — to rob

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