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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: spring · bark · racket · craft · arm · pitcher · firm · lie

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. firm — a company
  3. spring — the season
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lie — to recline
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. firm — steady
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spring — a coil
  19. craft — a skill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spring — of water
  24. firm — decided

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