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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: face · arm · mate · bass · prune · pitcher · pass · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. face — to confront
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — to breed
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — the fish
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bass — low music
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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