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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chest — a box
  9. capital — a city
  10. net — after costs
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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