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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · mate · racket · mug · hand · march · ground · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — in cards
  4. march — the month
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hand — help
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mug — a face
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ground — the earth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ground — a position
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — a partner
  21. march — the month
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mug — a cup

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