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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ground — the earth
  5. roll — a list
  6. bound — certain
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. object — to protest
  9. bound — tied together
  10. object — a thing
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. club — for dancing
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. roll — a cake
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. club — for golf
  19. ground — a position
  20. object — an aim
  21. hand — help
  22. ground — crushed
  23. club — a group
  24. mug — a face

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