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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. race — a contest
  9. content — the amount
  10. suit — clothes
  11. race — humankind
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. content — happy
  20. mate — to breed
  21. suit — in cards
  22. race — the arms race
  23. suit — to fit
  24. track — a song

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