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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pop — soda
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. firm — a company
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. firm — steady
  7. march — the month
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bound — obliged
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. land — a country
  12. march — music
  13. land — ground
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. firm — decided
  16. land — to come down
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bound — certain
  19. pop — music
  20. march — the month
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bound — tied together

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