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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: rule · hide · game · pitcher · stem · arm · stick · craft

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rule — a law
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rule — government
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. game — a match
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. craft — boats
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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