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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.

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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: mark · bulb · squash · arm · racket · present · pound · pitcher

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. squash — to crush
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. present — the time now
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — a weight
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. squash — the sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — a gift
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. present — there
  24. bulb — for light

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