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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: cell · arm · race · stand · file · face · pitcher · bound

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stand — to bear
  5. file — a tool
  6. cell — a phone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. face — part of the head
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bound — certain
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bound — obliged
  18. file — a document
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. race — a contest
  21. bound — tied together
  22. race — humankind
  23. face — to confront
  24. pitcher — a jug

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