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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. foot — a measure
  5. press — to push
  6. cap — a lid
  7. capital — a city
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. press — a publisher
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cap — a hat
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. squash — to crush
  16. capital — money
  17. cap — of ice
  18. arm — part of the body

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