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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: pitcher · hand · charge · arm · saw · ruler · stock · ball

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stock — shares
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. charge — electricity
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a dance
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hand — help
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. ball — a great time
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stock — goods
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ball — a round shape

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