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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. deal — to handle
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spring — of water
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spring — the season
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mug — a face
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fine — all right
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fine — high quality
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cue — a signal
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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