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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — in music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. scale — size or range
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. drill — army training
  18. bound — certain
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. racket — a loud noise

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