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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — a grade
  9. game — a match
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — goods
  12. pop — to visit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. arm — part of the body

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