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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. track — a song
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. object — to protest
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pound — a weight
  11. track — a path
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — a thing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rule — a law
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. object — an aim
  24. rule — government

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