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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: fine · rash · arm · ball · branch · mug · band · ground

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mug — a cup
  8. ground — a position
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mug — a face
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rash — a series
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a music group
  15. fine — high quality
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fine — all right
  21. band — a ring
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ball — a dance
  24. branch — a division

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