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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: last · arm · key · ball · fork · bat · land · mug

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fork — in a road
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. key — in music
  7. last — final
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mug — to rob
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. last — finally
  13. mug — a face
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. land — a country
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mug — a cup
  20. last — to go on
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bat — for 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