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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — hurry
  6. toast — bread
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cell — in biology
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. key — the most important part
  15. squash — to crush
  16. key — for a lock
  17. squash — the sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. key — in music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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