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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 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. drill — the tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. drill — a practice
  11. staff — a stick
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. drill — army training
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink

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