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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 120 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: march · rash · mouse · arm · cap · pitcher · object · press

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. march — the month
  3. press — newspapers
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. march — music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. cap — a lid
  12. press — to push
  13. object — to protest
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. object — a thing
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. march — the month
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cap — of ice
  24. arm — part of the body

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