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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: race · pitcher · leaves · arm · drill · bowl · suit · capital

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. drill — the tool
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. suit — to fit
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. drill — army training
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. suit — clothes

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