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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spring — of water
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. foot — a measure
  6. spring — the season
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pit — in a race
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. date — the fruit

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