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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — to handle
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — a measure
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spring — the season
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. game — wild animals
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. game — a match
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rush — a thrill

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