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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 120 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
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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: pit · object · club · arm · ball · pitcher · deal · hand

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. object — an aim
  3. pit — in a race
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. object — to protest
  9. club — for dancing
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. object — a thing
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pit — a hole
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ball — a great time
  24. club — for golf

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