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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · pass · kid · tube · pitcher · court · can · arm

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. court — of law
  4. row — to paddle
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pass — a permit
  9. court — of a king
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. row — a line
  18. court — for sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. kid — to tease

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