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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cue — a signal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. spring — of water
  18. game — a match
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. spring — the season

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