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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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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: arm · fork · deal · pitcher · stem · wound · ruler · bat

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — to handle
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stem — a stem cell

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