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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ground — a position
  4. roll — a list
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. scale — size or range
  8. kick — in football
  9. ground — crushed
  10. scale — in music
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fine — all right
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. scale — for weighing

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