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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. content — the amount
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. squash — the sport
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kick — in football
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chip — to eat
  18. squash — to crush
  19. date — the fruit
  20. content — happy
  21. vault — a safe
  22. chip — for betting
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitcher — a jug

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