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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.

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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. track — a path
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. track — to keep track
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — electric
  12. track — a song
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now

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