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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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pit — in a race
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. drill — a practice
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. drill — army training
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. game — a match
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pit — a hole

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