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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
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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: trunk · scale · track · present · arm · pound · cap · pitcher

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cap — of ice
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cap — a lid
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pound — a weight
  9. present — there
  10. cap — a hat
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. present — a gift
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. track — a path
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — the time now
  21. track — a song
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. scale — in music
  24. pound — to hit hard

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