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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 120 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.

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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: cell · pitcher · board · stand · arm · key · suit · straw

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. key — for a lock
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cell — a phone
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. board — a committee
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. key — in music
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pitcher — a jug

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