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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: staff · leaves · temple · arm · pitcher · club · jam · cold

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. club — for dancing
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. club — for golf
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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