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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: cap · calf · mine · pitcher · key · pop · arm · nail

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cap — a lid
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. key — the most important part
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — in music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pop — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — for a lock
  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