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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — to come from
  4. march — the month
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. net — after costs
  10. mate — a partner
  11. net — in sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. march — music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mate — a friend
  18. content — happy
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. content — the amount
  22. net — for catching
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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