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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: arm · rash · game · stick · present · pitcher · content · hide

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — wild animals
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. content — happy
  9. game — a match
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. content — the amount
  15. present — the time now
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. present — a gift
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rash — a series
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. present — there
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. arm — a part of something

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