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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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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: rock · squash · bore · pitcher · arm · fine · jam · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bore — to tire
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rock — a stone
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rock — music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bore — to drill
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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