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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rock — a stone
  3. swing — music
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ball — a dance
  6. dip — to sink
  7. swing — in golf
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rock — music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ground — a position
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ground — crushed
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ground — the earth

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