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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. net — after costs
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. content — the amount
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ground — the earth
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. net — in sport
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rest — a break
  17. ground — crushed
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ground — a position
  20. content — happy
  21. mug — a cup
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. net — for catching

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