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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: mate · racket · arm · roll · dip · pitcher · deal · bear

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mate — a friend
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — to breed
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. deal — to handle
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. dip — a sauce

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