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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bat — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. net — after costs
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mark — a grade
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. net — in sport
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mark — a trace
  21. staff — a stick
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. net — for catching
  24. staff — employees

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