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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 · craft · face · pitcher · board · pound · key · safe

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. board — a committee
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. key — the most important part
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. key — for a lock
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. key — in music
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pound — for dogs

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