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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 · staff · bowl · arm · date · clip · cabinet

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bass — low music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. date — the fruit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. clip — a video
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. staff — employees

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