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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: hand · mate · ball · pitcher · roll · mark · present · arm

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. present — a gift
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ball — a great time
  5. present — the time now
  6. mark — a grade
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. roll — a cake
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — a partner
  14. present — there
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. roll — a list
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ball — a dance
  24. hand — in cards

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