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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · can · arm · cell · pitcher · bay · capital · scale

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. can — to be able to
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. capital — money
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mug — a face
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. capital — a city
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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