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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lean — thin
  4. game — a match
  5. degree — from a university
  6. object — an aim
  7. degree — temperature
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — music
  10. land — ground
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — to bend
  13. land — a country
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. degree — an amount
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. object — a thing
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. object — to protest
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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