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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: pitcher · bass · row · arm · cabinet · club · racket · capital

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. capital — money
  4. club — for dancing
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. row — a line
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. club — a group
  12. row — to paddle
  13. capital — a city
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. club — for golf
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. row — a quarrel

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