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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. field — farmland
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — for sport
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bat — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. file — a document
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. field — a subject

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