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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: court · rash · arm · mate · deal · present · pitcher · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of a king
  5. mate — a partner
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. present — the time now
  8. deal — to handle
  9. present — there
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. court — of law
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lean — thin
  15. mate — to breed
  16. court — for sport
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. present — a gift
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rash — a series
  24. mate — a friend

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