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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: pitcher · patient · toast · ruler · mouse · arm · key · pound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. toast — bread
  4. key — for a lock
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. key — in music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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