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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: pitcher · march · arm · mouse · spell · cap · key · bay

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spell — letters
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. march — the month
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. march — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — in music
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spell — magic

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