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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. degree — from a university
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. land — ground
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rest — what's left
  9. vault — a safe
  10. land — a country
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. row — to paddle
  19. land — to come down
  20. row — a line
  21. degree — temperature
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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