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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. capital — money
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. date — the fruit
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. capital — a city
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. deal — to handle
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mouse — for a computer

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