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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fork — in a road
  12. key — in music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. key — the most important part
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wind — moving air
  21. key — for a lock
  22. dip — to sink
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wind — moving air

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