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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — all right
  4. track — a path
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mug — a face
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rock — a stone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fine — high quality

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