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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: arm · foot · pitcher · drill · mine · charge · can · bay

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. charge — a price
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. drill — a practice
  10. can — a tin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. drill — the tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. charge — in control
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mine — for digging
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. drill — army training
  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