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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · ball · arm · bowl · mug · chair · stem · pitcher

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mug — a face
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ball — a great time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spell — letters
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spell — magic
  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