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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: bear · arm · stand · band · spell · scale · capital · pitcher

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stand — to bear
  7. capital — a city
  8. scale — in music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — letters
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. capital — money
  16. spell — magic
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spell — a short time
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bear — to put up with

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