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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: object · craft · pitcher · arm · squash · bay · cap · prune

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. object — an aim
  3. craft — boats
  4. object — a thing
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — a skill
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cap — a lid
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cap — of ice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. squash — the sport
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cap — a hat
  24. arm — a part of something

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