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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. press — to push
  8. rule — a law
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. craft — a skill
  11. press — newspapers
  12. land — to come down
  13. rule — government
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. press — a publisher
  16. land — ground
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. march — the month
  21. land — a country
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. craft — boats

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