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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: nail · pitcher · arm · march · wax · club · kick · tube

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. club — for golf
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. march — music
  5. club — a group
  6. wax — to grow
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tube — a container
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. march — the month
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. march — the month
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. tube — the underground
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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