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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: staff · arm · key · craft · squash · pitcher · roll · fan

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. squash — to crush
  11. craft — a skill
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — in music
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. staff — employees
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. craft — boats

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