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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
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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: arm · row · march · pitcher · drill · stand · mark · foot

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. row — to paddle
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — a trace
  9. drill — a practice
  10. foot — a measure
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. drill — army training
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mark — a grade
  20. march — the month
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. march — music
  23. stand — to bear
  24. drill — the tool

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