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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.

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: squash · pitcher · club · ruler · arm · bound · hand · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. squash — the sport
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — certain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. hand — in cards
  16. club — for golf
  17. bound — obliged
  18. club — for dancing
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kick — in football
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. club — a group
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitcher — a jug

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