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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: ground · pitcher · wound · staff · craft · arm · racket · board

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — to get on
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ground — a position
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. staff — a stick
  8. board — a committee
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ground — crushed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ground — the earth
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. craft — boats
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wound — an injury
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. racket — a loud noise

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