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

Word bank: pitcher · plane · season · trunk · firm · mark · key · arm

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. firm — a company
  7. key — for a lock
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. firm — steady
  11. plane — a tool
  12. firm — decided
  13. mark — a trace
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mark — a grade
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. key — in music
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. key — the most important part
  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