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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 120 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. key — for a lock
  6. kid — child
  7. land — to come down
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pass — a permit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. land — ground
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. key — in music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. land — a country
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. kid — to tease
  24. key — the most important part

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