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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stand — to bear
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. staff — employees
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. field — a subject
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. field — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. field — farmland
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. staff — a stick
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. staff — employees
  24. foot — a measure

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