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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. degree — from a university
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. degree — temperature
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cap — a lid
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. board — a committee
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. board — to get on

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