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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 120 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
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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: pitcher · arm · march · suit · plane · cell · mine · pit

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. march — the month
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cell — in biology
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. march — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. march — the month
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mine — an explosive

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