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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. field — for sport
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bulb — for light
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. field — a subject
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rush — hurry
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rash — a series
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chip — for betting
  24. field — farmland

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