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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: firm · bank · pitcher · arm · foot · kid · roll · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. foot — a measure
  3. kid — child
  4. bank — for money
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. firm — a company
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. capital — money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kid — to tease
  17. roll — a list
  18. firm — decided
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. roll — a cake
  21. firm — steady
  22. capital — a city
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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