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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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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 · chest · wake · club · arm · bark · bay · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chest — of your body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. chest — a box
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. toast — the most admired

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