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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: arm · present · pitcher · rule · pass · mark · roll · wound

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rule — a law
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. roll — a cake
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. roll — a list

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