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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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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: spell · arm · bat · stick · bowl · bound · bay · pitcher

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — letters
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bound — certain
  15. spell — magic
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bound — obliged
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pitcher — a jug

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