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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. net — for catching
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. net — after costs
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pit — a hole
  13. track — a song
  14. lean — to bend
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lean — thin
  18. fine — high quality
  19. track — a path
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. fine — all right
  22. pit — in a race
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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