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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: pitcher · pop · pit · arm · cabinet · nail · bat · date

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — music
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — soda
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. arm — a part of something

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