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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — the season
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. spring — of water
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — a division
  22. spring — a coil
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. date — the fruit

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