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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.

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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: pit · snap · pitcher · scale · arm · craft · pass · rule

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — a law
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. scale — size or range
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. craft — boats
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. scale — in music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pit — in a race
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rule — government

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