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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: pitcher · key · swing · temple · arm · last · roll · fork

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. last — final
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. last — to go on
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — in music
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. swing — music
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. key — for a lock
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. swing — to play on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. last — finally
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fork — to eat 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