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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — a match
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. capital — a city
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — money
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. foot — a measure
  18. game — wild animals

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