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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: arm · hand · racket · wave · pitcher · ball · field · saw

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. field — farmland
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. field — a subject
  7. saw — the tool
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. field — for sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ball — a dance
  21. hand — help
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

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